Michael Strahan Reveals He Is Enjoying Time Off From ‘Live!’ — Will Kelly Ripa Announce New Co-Host Soon?

A relaxed and laughing Michael Strahan recently paid a visit to Chelsea Handler’s Netflix show to talk about what he has been up to the past six weeks since his Live! departure. Although everyone is currently talking about the Brexit, people have not forgotten Strahan’s early exit and all of the recent off screen Live! drama. Perhaps what is most revealing is that Strahan told Handler that he did not miss working on Live! in his first interview since departing the popular show.

Michael Strahan tells Chelsea Handler he doesn't miss doing "Live with Kelly and Michael." https://t.co/jdwU9ZteK1

— The Associated Press (@AP) June 23, 2016

Perhaps Strahan does not miss his old show as he has so much to look forward to. His new gig with Good Morning America will start this fall and the former NFL star is currently the new host and executive producer of The $100,000 Pyramid. There is a 10-week summer run on this ABC prime time show. In addition, he has a Michael Strahan clothing and underwear line coming out soon. He did not mention if he is going to add modeling to his list of jobs, but there is no doubt that many fans would love to see the well-built, former athlete modeling his new namesake attire.

The charismatic Strahan admitted to Handler that has not been watching the show he co-hosted for nearly four years. Instead, he has used the unscheduled time off to spend time with his children and travel. Most of all, he seemed surprised that he really needed the rest, so he especially appreciated the off time.

“When you get a break, sometimes you kind of go, ‘Wow, I kind of needed it.’ I needed a break.”

What was rather interesting to those who have been keeping score of this overblown Live! drama is that he did not mention that he missed working on Live!, nor did he offer any comments about his former co-host, Kelly Ripa. His comment that he needed this time off seemed like a backhanded way of telling the world, especially Ripa, that taking him off of Live! didn’t do anything to hurt his feelings nor his blossoming career.

https://twitter.com/Chelseashow/status/746366077647659009

While so much as been reported on how Ripa infamously had a “total meltdown” when she was “blindsided” with Strahan’s departure announcement and she acted very coldly towards him on television, this was a decision made by several ABC executives. Although Strahan now has some experience on television, he is foremost a lifelong football player. He is going to follow his coach, which in television world is the chain of command at ABC. Those at ABC who decided that Strahan was to move onto greener pastures at Good Morning America made this decision and most likely told Strahan that they would handle the situation with Ripa. This information was not Strahan’s to reveal. While Ripa’s unhappiness was valid, her drama queen antics towards him were quite unprofessional and showed a very unattractive side of the television host.

Even The View star Joy Behar had commented on how Ripa took the Strahan departure too personally, including taking several days off from the show after the announcement was made.

“I’ve been summarily fired so many times with nary a word to me. It’s called show business, not show therapy.”

Strahan was not asked, nor did he speculate on, who his Live! replacement will be. So, who is going to be the new co-host of Live!?

Currently, Live! With Kelly is scheduled to film shows through the end of July, with an assumed summer hiatus in August. Fans hope that the show will make a co-host announcement before they go on the extended summer hiatus. The question is who is going to be the new co-host?

Right now, there has been a carousel of co-host possibilities: Rob Lowe, Jeff Gordon, Anderson Cooper, or her pal Andy Cohen. In fact, Kelly Ripa had reportedly told the execs at Live! that she would leave the show if Cohen or Cooper were not made her co-host.

Her backstage antics since the Strahan announcement have not been so flattering. Page Six spoke to an insider who said that they are calling Kelly Ripa “Queen Kelly” and acting on her wish, not the other way around.

“It’s like her royal court.”

The insider says that any changes now have to be run by the control-hungry Ripa.

Michael Strahan Breaks Silence Since 'Live!’ Exit, Says He Doesn’t Miss It — OUCH! (via @etnow) https://t.co/CN3mkEZ7wA

— TMZ (@TMZ) June 25, 2016

Yet, a Live! spokesperson has already discounted the reports that Ripa requires her approval for any changes to the show, or who her new co-host will be.

“The hosts of ‘Live’ always have had major input with regard to the production of the show. This report is completely false.”

Although it is understandable that Ripa may want to take her time selecting a new co-host, she and the Live! producers must realize that they cannot wait much longer. Now, instead of talking about co-host possibilities, the focus is on Ripa, and true or not, that focus is very unflattering and could permanently harm the popular show.

Who do you think will be the new Live! co-host? Do you think Michael Strahan was wrong to not talk to Kelly earlier?

[Photo by Mark Davis/Getty Images]